Dr. Jin Mo Chung, a University of Texas Medical Branch professor of neuroscience and cell biology, whose pioneering methods of research on pain are known as the “Chung Model” by his peers, talked to Guidry News Service about his research. Listen (25 minutes, 47 seconds)

Dr. Chung said his aim over the past three decades has been to understand the pain mechanism, “particularly chronic pain mechanism” to discover better ways to treat chronic pain, which he said has a different pain mechanism than acute pain, which serves a protective purpose.

“Chronic pain, on the other hand, it does not have much of value, protective value,” he said. “Patients are suffering.”

Dr. Chung said the primary reason people seek medical help is because of pain and that while there are drugs to alleviate acute pain, “there is no good way to treat chronic pain.”

He said traditional pain treatments are ineffective.

“Morphine doesn’t work for chronic pain. So many chronic pain patients tend to hop around different pain clinics trying to get help.”

Dr. Chung said many chronic pain patients become addicted to drugs and have other psychological problems and he is hopeful that his research will lead to better ways to treat those patients.

Jim Kelly of the UTMB Public Affairs Department has posted a Guest Column on the pioneering work on pain research by Jin Mo Chung. Article